GUEST COLUMN: Make Mayo voices count on June 7

With a voter turnout of 50.3 percent in the Midlands–North-West constituency, which Mayo is in the heart of, only 1 in 2 people had their voices heard in the European elections in 2019. This is something we need to change on June 7 in order to ensure a strong mandate for the people representing us, who are helping to shape the future Mayo, Ireland and Europe you want.

In parts of Europe, democracy is under pressure and media bubbles are increasingly posing a challenge to public discourse. In Ireland also, we are seeing a rise in disinformation, and it often seems as though it is the loudest voices rather than the plurality of voices which are heard. Luckily, strong institutions such as the European Parliament and democratic principles such as free elections offer an opportunity for us to express ourselves in a civil way and with great impact.

Last month the European Parliament Liaison Office launched our national ‘Use Your Vote’ campaign to increase awareness of the elections and encourage people to vote. Our team has since then travelled the length and breadth of the country. We had campaign launch events in each constituency, where we spoke to local people to remind them to register to vote and to ensure that they have the tools to help inform their decisions. The campaign has since gained traction and has been widely covered in local as well as national media.

We are conscious, however, that a single campaign is short lived. To help inform citizens and remind people that the European Union is open and accessible, we need continuous and established networks of volunteers, schools and others stakeholders.

With this in mind, Together.eu was established after the 2019 elections campaign to help galvanize the many volunteers across Europe who had helped spread the message of democracy. Today we have over 2,300 active volunteers across Ireland, regularly organising and attending events aimed mainly at younger voters. Twenty-two of these volunteers are based in Mayo, and we hope to increase that number in the coming weeks, months and years.

Europe Direct centres around Europe help bring the EU closer to people on the ground and answer questions about EU policies, programmes and priorities. The library in Ballinasloe is host to a very active Europe Direct centre.

We also have a network of schools across Ireland who participate in the European Parliament Ambassador Schools Programme (EPAS). EPAS aims at increasing students’ awareness of European parliamentary democracy, the role of the European Parliament and European values. The programme is now in its 12th year in Ireland and there are currently 73 schools registered. Teacher training and resources are provided, and schools who complete the programme are awarded Ambassador School status at award ceremonies which take place in each constituency every year.

Ballinrobe Community School has been a committed participant of the EPAS programme since 2020, and this year we were delighted to welcome a new school from Mayo into the programme, Coláiste Muire of Tourmakeady.

In March, our office partnered with the W cinema in Westport for free screenings of three of the films shortlisted for the European Parliament’s annual Lux Audience Award for European films which raise awareness about current social and political issues. The W cinema was filled with local supporters of European cinema, and this is a collaboration we hope to nurture into the future. Not only is it another opportunity to inform citizens and engage them in debate, but is also a welcome excuse to be invited back to beautiful Westport.

This year, voters in the Midlands–North-West constituency have 27 candidates to choose from, ten more than in 2019. The constituency currently has four MEPs, and will gain one more this year, bringing the number to five MEPs who will represent you in Brussels and Strasbourg. This time round also, the constituency will be slightly larger, gaining as it does the counties of Laois and Offaly.

We are now just over one week away from the European elections and you may have seen or heard a version of the short film which is the centrepiece of our campaign. It is an emotional and sincere depiction of real grandparents, from all over Europe, telling their young-adult grandchildren about how, for them, democracy was something they had to fight for. This is an important message for young voters in particular to keep in mind. Growing up in a united, prosperous and peaceful Europe is a privilege, and it is easy to forget that this is a mere blip in our continent’s and indeed our country’s vast history. Let’s not take what we have for granted and let us exercise the rights we inherited, remembering the sweat and blood it took to build.

Fionnuala Croker is a native of Donegal who is now Head of Office (Acting) in the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland. For more on the Use Your Vote campaign and to view the short film, visit the Use your Vote site.